South Korea shifts to emergency response system as US steel tariffs take effect. South Korea was the fourth-largest exporter of steel to the U.S. last year, accounting for 9 percent of Washington’s steel imports. Washington also plans to impose levies on various other goods, including automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, as well as reciprocal tariffs on its trading partners, in the near future. The government plans to hold briefing sessions on Washington’s trade policies, operate an emergency help desk and provide consultations on business strategies that it says may include diversification of export destinations and relocation of manufacturing facilities. The meeting took place as the Trump administration’s 25 per cent duties on all steel and aluminum imports kicked off at 1:01 p.m. (Korea time) (IANS) The country was also theFourth-biggest exporters of aluminum to the United States, taking up about 4 per cent of the country’s aluminum imports. The country is the fifth-largest producer of steel in the world and the seventh-largest importer of aluminum.